Round-the-Clock Purple and Gold

Just as the force was passed along from Yoda to Obi-Wan to Luke...

December 11, 2009 | 9:44
am

.... so goes the triangle from Tex Winter to Phil Jackson to Kurt Rambis.

Tonight welcomes the Clark Kent-guided Minnesota Timberwolves into town, and with that arrival comes the unbroken chain of learning a successful system from a successful teacher. Rambis runs Minny's show, and considering his roots as a PJ protege, it's no surprise to learn he's running a triangular game plan, especially while gifted with the rare luxury of "time" while reviving a struggling franchise. Why not run with what's worked? Besides, as we learned in Star Wars, shining tried and true lessons from learned ones can lead to epically disastrous results. (Darth Vader, I'm looking in your direction, pal!)

Beyond the systems in use, there are other similarities between the squads. Rambis' team features a center straight out of high school, booming with potential but plagued by injuries and accusations of defensive indifference. A power forward who's dealt with the "soft" tag. From there, however, the immediate similarities cease, particularly in the "overall talent" and "experience" departments. The latter becomes a particular issue when it comes to the Lakers and Wolves' system, famous for its difficulty to grasp.